Snowdon lays down law on 'non-sniff' petrol sales

Warren Snowdon says petrol sniffing has been reduced by 90 per cent in some areas.

ABC News/Cathy Harper

Federal Indigenous Health Minister Warren Snowdon has told a forum on petrol sniffing that if retailers don't decide to sell low aromatic fuel voluntarily, they will be compelled to do so.

The forum at Alice Springs today was held so the Government could show evidence that a having a petrol sniffing strategy works.

About 80 people attended the event, including representatives from fuel companies, police, governments and health services.

Mr Snowdon said he wanted to build support for the rollout of low aromatic fuel across the Northern Territory.

"It's really a pitch around what has succeeded," he said.

"We are looking at people's experience in different communities and trying to get people who might be sceptical about the impact of lower aromatic fuel to understand it's importance, and the success we've had in reducing, in some cases, petrol sniffing rates by 90 per cent."

He said proposed federal legislation would back the push for using low aromatic fuel.

"It will provide me with the power to actually compel people to sell low aromatic fuel, if that's required," he said.

"We would like to see voluntary participation in this project.

"We have seen ... there are very very few outlets in central Australia who don't use low aromatic fuel and that's a very good result."